As I’m still running Ubuntu 16.04 based Linux Mint, I have no access to GDAL 2.x repositories (except for ubuntugis, that I really don’t like to use). Provided with a GeoPackage raster file recently, I had to find a way to load it into QGIS, somehow. The solution is simple: Docker with gdal_translate.

Preparing the Docker container

I like using Docker for experiments that might leave the OS in an unexpected state (which is exactly what happens to me with ubuntugis repository whenever I use it. That’s why I don’t anymore.). A very simple Dockerfile keeps the troubles away from you.

FROM ubuntu:17.04
RUN apt update
RUN apt install -y gdal-bin

cd into the folder and build the image with docker build -t gdal .. Once ready, summon the daemon, run the container, mount the GeoPackage file to the container directory and you’re ready to rock.

docker run -v /path/to/geopackage:/home/ -it gdal

Raster GeoPackage to GeoTiff translation

With the container running, the raster GeoPackage to GeoTiff translation can be done easily with gdal_translate. Note I chose to cut the source file into tiles, because the gdal_translate was choking about the resulting size.